Santo Domingo
While we waited for visas and better winds in Samana, we were able to visit the DR’s capital Santo Domingo a couple of times. With about 2 million inhabitants it’s one of the biggest cities in the Caribbean, and it’s also the first place the Spanish colonized after Columbus landed on the Dominican Coast, “discovering America”.
We loved being in a real city again after all the remoteness of the Bahamas. Walking along the historical Spanish ruins, learning the Dominican ways from taxi-drivers, dancing salsa (trying at least) in the vibrant nightlife and having real Chinese in Santo Domingo’s Chinatown. We did some couchsurfing, but oddly enough all the couchsurfers were foreigners themselves too.
In a barber shop we met a group of Danish sailors which have the most amazing sailboat we’ve seen so far. They are sailing a 30 foot schooner that belongs to their families around the Atlantic. Like us their crew changes regularly, but their group is much bigger (up to 20 people sometimes). They showed us around and we ran into a random beach party later in the afternoon.
We loved being in a real city again after all the remoteness of the Bahamas. Walking along the historical Spanish ruins, learning the Dominican ways from taxi-drivers, dancing salsa (trying at least) in the vibrant nightlife and having real Chinese in Santo Domingo’s Chinatown. We did some couchsurfing, but oddly enough all the couchsurfers were foreigners themselves too.
In a barber shop we met a group of Danish sailors which have the most amazing sailboat we’ve seen so far. They are sailing a 30 foot schooner that belongs to their families around the Atlantic. Like us their crew changes regularly, but their group is much bigger (up to 20 people sometimes). They showed us around and we ran into a random beach party later in the afternoon.